Compass cover



Aug. 14, 1956 Filed Nov. 22, 1954 R. S. WOODRUFF, SR

' COMPASS COVER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 14, 1956 R, s, WOODRUFF, SR

COMPASS COVER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 22, 1954 a 4 ii United States Patent COMPASS COVER Ralph Woodrulf, Sr., Point Pleasant Borough, N. J.

Application November 22, 1954, Serial No. 470,250

4 'Claims. (CI. 45-68) This invention relates to protective covers for instruments and more particularly to a protective cover for a compass and the like.

A prime object of the present invention is to provide a cover for a compass which will protect the compass from the weather without interfering in any way with the readingof the compass card.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cover for a compass which is waterproof and readily'sheds Water, rain and melted snow.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cover for a compass with novel means for holding it in protective position on the compass against accidental displacement and without the use of metal fasteners.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a cover for a compass which may be readily applied to and removed from the compass.

It is further proposed to produce a compass cover which is simple and rugged in construction and which can be manufactured and sold at a reasonable cost.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a compass cover embodying my invention shown in position on a conventional compass, the compass card being in view through the window of the cover.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the plane of the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the plane of the line 33 of Figure 2, without the compass.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the plane of the line 44 of Figure 2.

Referring to the various views of the drawings in detail, the improved cover is illustrated as applied to a conventional type of compass including a square-shaped casing 2 and a conventional fiat compass card 3.

The cover 1 may be formed of any suitable flexible waterproof material, such as canvas, and is of the configuration shown in Figures 1 and 2, with a squareshaped bottom end. The body of the cover comprises a main central panel section 4, constituting the front, top and rear of the cover, and side panel sections 5, the body being open at the bottom. At each side of the body, the adjacent longitudinal edges 6 and 7 of the main panel section and the side panel sections 4 and 5, respectively, are folded over and bent laterally and secured together by a row of stitching 8. This construction produces an outwardly protruding thickened hem 9 at each side, said hems reinforcing and shaping the body and serving to direct the water, rain and melted snow down the outside of the cover and discharging it at the bottom of the cover. The main panel section 4 as best seen in Figure 2 is shaped so as to provide a vertically disposed front wall portion 10, an upwardly slanting top wall portion 11 and a vertically "disposed rear Wall portion 12, the top wall portion being gradually reduced in width from both the front wall portion and the rear wall portion. The maten'al at the bottom of the front and rear wall portions and at the bottom of the side panel sections are folded over and the upper edges of the folds secured together by a line of stitching 13 to form a reinforcing tubular hem 14 around the bottom of the body of the cover.

The portion of the hem 14 along the rear wall portion 12 is turned over a flat strip 15 of rubber or other elastic material. The strip 15 when under tension is secured at its ends to the hem by cross stitches 16 and is unattached for the remainder of its length. The strip con tracts the material of the hem at the rear wall portion and thereby produces a fullness or gathering of the material as indicated at 17 in Figure 3, thus constricting the size of the opening in the bottom end of the cover. The hem 14, with the rubber strip 15, reinforces and adds rigidity to the bottom of, the cover and serves as a base for supporting the cover upright on its'supporting surface as indicated at 18 in Figure l. p

A rectangular-shaped opening 19 is cut in the center of the top wall portion 11 of the cover, extending substantially the'length thereof, but leaving a solid portion of the top wall thereabove. Y The opening is in alignment with the compass card 3 as shown in Figure 1, when the cover is in protective position.

An elongated rectangular strip 20 of suitable flexible transparent plastic material is lined against the inner surface of the main panel section 4 of the cover, centrally thereof, and extends from the bottom edge of the slanting top wall portion 11 to a point approximately midway the height of the rear wall portion 12, extending across the opening 19 and constituting a window pane 21. The plastic strip 20 is secured in position by lines of stitches 22 and 23 along its side and end edges, respectively. A line of stitches 24 secures the plastic strip in place around the opening 19.

A stay or rib 25 of suitable fibrous material, such as cardboard, extends along the inner surface of the main panel section 4 of the cover, at each side of the plastic strip 20 and is fastened to the main panel section by a line of stitches 25 extending along the center of the stay. These stays extend from the top of the hem 14'at the front wall portion 10 to the top of the hem at the rear wall portion 12 and together with the plastic strip 20 serve to stiffen the body, holding it in shape.

The side panel sections 5 may be provided with opposed eyelets 27 which serve as air vents for ventilating purposes.

It will be noted that the cover is so constructed that when it is in position on the compass as shown in Figure l, the compass is completely covered and protected from wind and weather. The compass card 3 is in alignment with the window pane 21 and the solid portion of the top wall portion 11, above the window pane 21, and the curved upper end of the rear wall portion 12 are spaced above the casing 2 of the compass and shield off the compass card 3 from stray light rays and shadows thereby facilitating reading of the compass card.

In use, the cover is slipped over the top of the compass casing 2 by stretching the portion of the hem 14 at the rear wall portion 12 and pulling the cover downwardly over thecasing until the hem 14 rests on the supporting surface indicated at 18 in Figure 1. When pressure on the rear portion of the hem is released, said rear portion will contract and grip the casing and hold the cover in position on the compass casing against accidental displacement.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention it will be understood that changes in details of construction might be made Without departing from the principle of the invention. To avoid circumlocntion, the te1'm"compass cover is intended to include covers for other artielesorinstruments.

Having thus described my. invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters,

Patent is:

1; A cover for acompass that has a compass card at its top, comprising abody offlexible waterproof material" having front; rear, side and top walls whose-bottom edges provide anopenbottonr end to slip overtlie case-of the compass from the top thereof, there being a'window' in pass case; whercby 'tor shield said-compass card from stray light rays and shadows; and means at the bottom edge.

of the cover, to hold'the cover on said compass case in encirclingrelation to said'ease.

2. The cover for a compass, as defined in claim 1 with t the addition of reinforcing stays extending along both side edges of said flexible sheet from thefront portion.

to the rear portion of. the bottomedge-of the cover and underlying and secured to said front, top and rear walls.

3; The cover for acompassasdefined in claim 1 wherein the last-named means comprises an elastic strap having its ends connected at spaced points to the bottom edge portion of the cover and extending along said edge portion.

4. A cover for a compass as defined in claim 1 wherein said body of flexible waterproof material comprises an elongate main panel. section. and side panel sections, each of the longer edges of said main section being stitched. to an. edge; on one side section, said main panel section providing, a vertical front wall portion, a vertical rear wall'portion and a top wall portion slanting upwardly from the front wall'lportion and connecting said front and rear wall portions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS; 

